I needed some Pheasant-Tail Nympths to fish with today, and realized out was out of Pheasant Tails. But I have plenty of Turkey Tails, and they looked close to the same color as the Pheasant, so I improvised. I think the result is a close approximation, and so did the 7 trout I caught at the Hiawassee River. And the fly seems to be holding up well. I may tie up some more.
If you tie a standard pattern, with different materials, does that count as a new fly? If so, then I am calling this one the Turkey-Tail Nympth.
Hook: Nympth 2x size 12, weighted with No-Lead wire wraps on 1st 1/3rd of shank.
Thread: Olive or brown 6/0 Unithread
Tail: Turkey Tail fiber
Abdomen: Turkey Tail fibers
Rib: Copper Ultra Wire-small
Thorax: Peacock Diamond Braid
Wing Case: Turkey Tail fibers
Gills: Turkey Tail fibers
I really like this Peacock Ice Dub. Here’s a nymph tied with the dubbing for an abdomen.
I believe I have a video of Rene Harrop tying a turkey tail fiber pheasant tail nymph, I am not sure it’s the same but I think it is pretty close to what you came up with. I believe the the first pheasant tail nymphs I ever ties were with turkey tail fiber because I learned them from that video. You know what they said about great minds.
Or were you telling us this was designed and built without government authorization and will cost the public millions of dollars.
that will work! the PT is the nymph i use in almost every situation that calls for underwaterwork, and i always fish in tandem with another fly.
Thank you for a new look using a different material
I have a lot of turkey tail, and crow tail, and other tail. I use it all. I love PT for the taper to the end of the herl, but the other work just as well.
I’ve found that useing fibres from the body feathers also works well. Here’s one made from the red feathers from a golden pheasant. The yellow ones make a nice nymph too.
Okay, I went and found the box for the video (VHS), it is call a Turkey Tail Nymph. I need to find the cassette now and watch how to tie the others on the videl.
His fly is totally different than mine, especially in technique. He uses waaaay too much wasted motion for my taste. I only use 2 pieces of turkey fibers, and only make 3 cuts on the fly, total. I tie mine in less than 2 minutes, from start to finish. And he doesn’t even use any peacock hearl, or weight at all. But, he did get the name first, so I’ll call mine something else. Maybe something like…the Ersatz Pheasant Tail.
The pattern I tied is basically just a classic Pheasant Tail Nympth tied with turkey tail in place of pheasant, and peacock Ice Dub in place of genuine peacock hearl. It could be tied as a bead-head as well.
But I do like Harrops finished fly. It looks like a real fish-catcher. It just shows that there are many ways to skin a 'possum, and none of them are particularly right, or wrong. It’s the finished product that counts.
Agree. I can tie a Turkey Tail Nymph in about the same amount of time as it took him to break off his ribbing wire, using pretty much the same method as Gigmaster. Re his ribbing wire…I always rib delicate materials in the opposite direction as I wound the material. IOW, I wind the turkey tail fibers away from me, and the wire toward me. That binds the fibers down, and holds the fly together when the trout start biting it.
